Eco-Friendly Stairs Add Design Appeal & Marketing Angles

In today’s real estate market, eco-friendly homes sell. According to recent research done by the Earth Advantage Institute, energy efficient homes in some parts of the United States sold for as much as 8.5% more per square foot, and even sat on the market for approximately 22% less time than other non eco-friendly real estate in the same area.

"Green stairs" = very appealing! Image by Alyssa L. Miller

Investing in “Green” products for your home or condo can clearly go a long way towards increasing the value of your home, and of course, selling it faster when it’s time to expand your living space or perhaps downsize to a maintenance free lifestyle. Some of these eco-friendly upgrades may include purchasing Energy Star kitchen appliances, switching out your old windows with a more high-performance window, or even installing advanced toilets, shower heads, and dishwashers for a better and more efficient water flow.

And while Energy Star products such as windows, kitchen appliances, and bathroom products may be the more obvious ways to transform a regular, outdated home into a new-and-improved eco-friendly paradise, there’s also an out-of-the-box upgrade that will both catch the eye of potential home buyers, as well as give your home something extra that many other homes don’t already have; ultimately giving you the edge when marketing your home to buyers.

Eco-Friendly stairs not only improve your Home Energy Rating, but often have a very modern, sleek look that will make any home’s living space stand out when showing it to potential buyers. Eco home builders and contractors will often use an economical hardwood such as poplar, beech, ash, red oak or hickory for your new staircase, and even choosing a product like bamboo satisfies the energy efficient aspect towards achieving the highly sought-after “green” status that so many home owners now seek.

In fact, using bamboo instead of a traditional wood for your stairs is not only eco-friendly, but it also gives off a unique appearance, has additional flexibility, and is much more resistant to wear and tear over a longer period of time.

So once your home’s modern, light-toned staircase is installed and ready to “wow” both real estate agents and home buyers alike, be sure to have your Realtor add this little tidbit of information the MLS description when putting your house up for sale. Be honest, of course it sounds good, but how many real estate listings have you scanned over during you last home search include something like “custom, eco-friendly staircase with chic, contemporary design”?

Sure, eco-friendly upgrades will ultimately seal the deal when selling your home, but simple and clever wording of a real estate listing is sure to get homebuyers at least talking about the property. And as you may know, once the talking begins, it won’t be long until the buying soon follows!

Joe Heath is a graduate of Indiana University and possesses a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Drexel University. After working in the market research sector and authoring published Market Snapshots for Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, Joe now works as a Web Marketing Specialist and co-owns Real Estate Web Creation with his partner, Ted Guarnero, a 25+ year real estate veteran.